
BRONX, NY — The first-ever game played at College Basketball’s cathedral of Rose Hill Gym featured the Fordham Rams Men’s Basketball team defeating Boston College, 46-16, on Thursday, January 15, 1925.
One century later, approximately 100 years to the date, yesterday, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Fordham celebrated the iconic venue’s 100 year anniversary with Men’s Basketball hosting the Massachusetts Minutemen.
And man, oh man, was it a battle for the ages…
Better yet — ‘an Atlantic-10 Barn Burner in the Bronx’ — as UMass and Fordham scratched and clawed back and forth until the very bitter end in a triple overtime thriller that was capped off by a game-tying basket (shown above) and game-winning lay-up from Minutemen forward Daniel Rivera, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to the US at the age of 11 with family.

Daniel Rivera put a bow on Wednesday night’s Triple OT classic at Rose Hill Gym with the game-winning lay-up (Watch Here) – Image Credit: UMass Athletics (Photo captured during UMass vs. Dayton on Wednesday, January 8, 2025)
With about 13 seconds left in triple OT, and the game tied up at 118 apiece, UMass’ Rahsool Diggins, scoring 46 points on the night (a new UMass program record), delivered a pass just in front of the free throw line to Rivera, one in which the 6-6 Puerto Rican senior drove towards the left side of the basket, hesitated slightly to gather himself, then put up with his right hand.
The product of James Monroe High School/Our Saviour Lutheran High School, both located in the Bronx, finished with 29 points, tying his collegiate career high. Additionally, Rivera, shooting 9/17 from the field and 10/18 at the free throw line, tacked on 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.
“We stepped up today,” said Diggins in the postgame. “(Rivera is) in his hometown, so he put on a show for his family. Just the will to win, honestly. That’s all I can say.”

Rahsool Diggins’ 46 points set a new-scoring record by an opponent at Rose Hill Gym, surpassing UMass’ Julius Erving’s 37 in 1970, and tied the scoring record set by Fordham’s Kenny Charles in 1973 – Image Credit: UMass Athletics
The will to win from both sides went beyond what the box score lays out, however, take a look at these astonishing figures.
UMass 120 – Fordham 118 in Triple OT
-Three hour and 40 minute runtime
-238 points scored
-79 fouls
-122 free throws
-Nine total players fouling out
-32 turnovers & 14 lead changes
-119 rebounds, 169 field goal attempts, & 61 three point attempts
-First triple OT game in Rose Hill Gym history
-Highest scoring game in Rose Hill Gym history
No doubt about it, one of the most entertaining College Basketball games of the 2024-2025 season and in the 100 year history of Rose Hill.
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